tiresome but nonetheless always sure of itself

Tag: #lathtr

We’re almost at a head. I also recommend the editorial from Bitter Lemons​ and it’s detail about the full pager in the Los Angeles Times​ and Actors’ Equity Association​’s response: http://losangeles.bitter-lemons.com/2015/03/25/vote-no/#sthash.HLkwZvyx.dpbs It’s very possible that union actors will be forced out of the indie scene by their own leadership, which will make producer-hyphenates like me seek non-union talent or hang it up all together. AEA insists on portraying people like me as exploitative of actors and dismissive of their contributions, when in fact, most of what I do is engineer […]

I try to see everything labeled ‘environmental/immersive/ambulatory’ that pops up in Los Angeles because I feel it’s the coolest thing theater has going for it. No other form can make you stand up, walk around, touch, feel, smell and throw yourself into a story or experience like the present art of theater. TV and video games can’t do that, and never will (my apologies to Virtual Boy.) And yet, how do we spend our time at plays? Silent, seated, hands folded or clutching a program, policing the behavior of other […]

“Everyone grieves differently.” As most of you know, my theater company Brimmer Street develops original works for the theater from scratch, collaborating with writers, actors, designers and producers from start to finish. Our latest mainstage offering is Pack Up the Moon, by Christina Cigala and starring yours truly.

[UPDATE: Apparently you can (and must!) vote for ShopLab everyday at the Pepsi Refresh Project. It’s super easy to sign in, especially if you’re already logged into Facebook. Keep voting and we can win! DOOO EEEEET NNAAAOOOO!] If you have ever produced a low-to-mid-scale play for a nomadic company in Los Angeles, or in any city for that matter, you know how expensive and inconvenient a temporary a shop/storage place can be. For companies without an existing space to store materials, build set pieces, or ways to move stuff around, these costs can drag down even a healthy budget. The time spent securing these resources also weighs on a production, and when it’s time to strike the show, there’s that sinking feeling you get when you watch perfectly good lumber, flats, large props or whatever can’t be stuck in the producer’s living room, get thrown in the dumpster and lost forever. The Solution. (click and vote, more below the fold.)

Some of you may know that for much of 2009 and 2010 I was a weekly writer for the upstart online publication LA Theatre Review. Each week I would accept a complimentary ticket to one of the dozens of live performances that are produced in Los Angeles each weekend, and in return, I would give my honest assessment of the show’s quality, vivacity, and relevance. And like so many ‘blogger-critics’ in this city, I did my best to distinguish myself from the pack by writing as insightfully and as brutally […]